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Entries from November 2013

November 29, 2013

Every holiday season, many of us search high and low for that perfect gift for our animal-adoring loved ones. We want to find something unique and magical that clearly conveys how much thought we put into finding a truly special present.

This year, MuttcrackersTM are making their way to the Richmond SPCA for the first time since 2008. These limited edition, one-of-a-kind works of art are hand-crafted by talented local artist and ardent supporter of the Richmond SPCA, Karen Gammon. Karen has raised tens of thousands of dollars for homeless animals through the donation of her art, and this holiday season she is donating 20 percent of the sales from these magnificent mutts to the lifesaving efforts of the Richmond SPCA.

Karen’s MuttcrackersTM will be making their debut tomorrow, on Small Business Saturday, in our Lora Robins Gift Shop, which is located in our Robins-Starr Humane Center. What better way to support small business and a great cause than by purchasing one of these rare works of art?

Fewer than 100 MuttcrackersTM exist today, making them highly collectible. You will be amazed by the intricate attention to detail on each one.

For more information, you can reach our retail shop team by calling 804-521-1301. Quantities are extremely limited, so you will want to get yours before they're all gone!

Abby Waller is the retail and procurement manager for the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

November 27, 2013

Do you have a child that loves making crafts? Does your child love animals? Do you need a little time to work on that holiday shopping list? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you should register your child for the Richmond SPCA Holiday Craft Camp! This brand new camp offers campers currently enrolled in kindergarten through sixth grade the chance to make fun crafts while also learning about animals. Over the course of three Saturdays your child will create holiday-related crafts to take home, learn about the history of the Richmond SPCA, discuss the importance of pet care and even learn some basic dog training skills. Each Saturday session is unique and offers a different educational component and new crafts. The crafts and discussions will be catered to each age range so that everyone is sure to learn something new and have a good time. Additionally, this camp will free up some time for parents to work on their holiday shopping while the kids are busy having fun!

This camp is scheduled for Saturday, December 7, 14 and 21 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Robins Starr Humane Center. Each Saturday session is $25 per child or you can register your child for all three sessions for only $60. You can learn more about each session offered below.

Saturday, December 7 – Session 1 – During the first session campers will learn about the history of the Richmond SPCA and will go on a behind-the-scenes tour of the building. They will also have the opportunity to decorate a wooden picture frame to take home. We will conclude the morning by visiting with our adoptable cats and dogs.

Saturday, December 14 – Session 2 – During the second session campers will learn fun facts about cats and dogs and will discuss the importance of pet care. They will also create their own holiday stationary and paint a cat or dog bobble head. We will conclude the morning by visiting with our adoptable cats and dogs.

Saturday, December 21 – Session 3 – During the third and final session campers will discuss dog bite safety and will learn basic dog training skills. They will also decorate their own dog training treat pouch, receive their own clicker and color a camp t-shirt. We will conclude the morning by visiting with our adoptable cats and dogs.

If this sounds like a camp that your child would be interested in attending please click here to register your child for either one, two or all three sessions! For questions or additional information please contact our humane education coordinator at (804) 521-1327 or kroth@richmondspca.org.

Kari Roth is the education coordinator for the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

November 25, 2013

We had a wonderful week at our humane center with 57 adoptions! Our goal is to find homes for orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Our humane center will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at the Carytown location of PETCO. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

This week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving with the “Thankful for a Home” adoption special. Between November 25 and November 29 all adoption fees will be reduced by 25 percent.

The month of November begins the “Two Fur Tuesdays” adoption special. You can adopt any two pets for one adoption fee. It's a great month to adopt two new best friends!

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

November 21, 2013

When you set out on a walk with your four-legged companion, there are many choices available for walking equipment, just as there are many dog-training philosophies. At the Richmond SPCA, we deliver reward-based training that is based on the science of learning theory. If your goal is a happy dog who walks well with you on leash, and you’ve tried a prong collar (aka pinch collar) or choke chain to make your dog comply, we would like to encourage you to give a Martingale collar, Gentle Leader, Easy Walk or Sensible No-Pull brand harnesses a try. Visit our Lora Robins Gift Shop from today until Nov. 29, and trade in your prong or choke collar for a 40 percent discount on PetSafe or Softouch Concepts brand walking equipment including collars, Gentle Leaders and harnesses.

Jackie, a behavior training specialist at the Richmond SPCA, walks Jinks with a Gentle Leader.

Prong collars, also known as pinch collars, are metal collars that have a series of fang-shaped metal links with blunt points. If sitting high on the neck, properly fitted, behind the ears, in theory it will distribute the pressure evenly along the dog’s neck to not cause any pressure points or damage to a dog’s trachea. Rather than receiving correction verbally from a guardian when not in the correct position, the pressure points from the prong collar are designed to deliver correction, communicating to the dog which behaviors are undesirable to the guardian. However, if the pet guardian is not trained to use the prong collar correctly and hasn’t had the collar properly fitted to the dog, it is not effective as a training tool and can instead cause walks to become uncomfortable or painful exercises for the dog.

One of the arguments some trainers make in favor of using prong collars is that the pinching the dog experiences mimics the correction that one dog would give another through mouthing behavior. However, dogs are capable of distinguishing that the pinching or discomfort coming from the collar isn’t from another canine. Instead, the dog may form a negative association to what they are experiencing at that time, whether it be walking, interacting with other dogs or a variety of other things. This negative association, over time, can create aggression towards or fear of other dogs, strangers or children.

Unlike properly-fitted prong collars, which will only tighten until they are snug around a dog’s neck, choke collars or slip leads continue to tighten indefinitely, which can cause extreme discomfort to a dog, cutting off his or her ability to breathe and potentially causing tracheal injuries. While a dog’s behavior may be momentarily inhibited by using tools like prong collars or choke collars, their effectiveness for even that tends to wear off over time, and the pet guardian ends up pulling harder and harder to get the dog’s attention or compliance. Furthermore, simply “correcting” unwanted behavior is never the right solution, as the dog can easily become confused if he does not know what behavior he should be doing in a given situation.

Magoo shows off the correct fit of a harness.

Fortunately, walking equipment for dogs has come a long way in the past decade! Martingale (limited-slip) collars, front-clip harnesses and head halters can help you modify your dog’s behavior and do so without causing pain or risk of injury. This means that walking can be a pleasant and safe experience for both humans and canines. If you are working with your dog to improve his or her behavior on leashed walks, a front-clip harness can be a wonderful and easy-to-use training tool that helps prevent pulling on leash almost immediately. Is your dog a pro at slipping out of a collar? When properly fitted, martingale collars are designed to prevent escape without the “choking” effects of a choke collar. Head halters (Gentle Leader, Halti, etc) provide maximum control and can help redirect your dog’s head and regain his or her focus on you in almost every situation.

It is important to remember that each training tool can only be successful when used correctly and properly fitted to your dog, but we are committed to help with that piece of the puzzle, so please ask us for help if you need it. Fortunately, the manufacturers of these products provide a great set of instructions, and our helpful staff in the Lora Robins Gift Shop are glad to help you with a fitting. Following all fitting and use guidelines is very important, so that each tool can be effective as possible. Consistent training using positive reinforcement will help strengthen the bond between you and your pet and create positive experiences for you both.

We encourage pet guardians using prong collars or choke collars to consider switching to a martingale collar, front-clip harness or head halter. When you visit our Lora Robins Gift Shop starting today through Nov. 29 and trade in your prong or choke collar, you will receive 40 percent off PetSafe brand collars, front clip harnesses and Gentle Leader head halters as well as Sensible No-Pull Harnesses by Softouch Concepts.

Caroline Radom is the manager of communications for the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name

November 20, 2013

I just wanted to send another update on Tuesday, the senior kitty I adopted a few months ago. I know you have a Seniors for Seniors program, and although I don’t meet the criteria for “senior” at 31 years old, Tuesday has been the perfect match. She is such a joy and certainly doesn't act her age! She's always looking for something to chase. She especially loves ping pong balls and string. She is so quick! She runs and jumps and slides across our hard wood floors. She's like having a kitten around! She's funny and goofy and silly and we just LOVE her!

Of course there are always concerns with adopting adult pets: Will they use the litter box? Will they warm up to me? Will they use the furniture as their personal scratching post? Tuesday never had any of these problems. She has never had an accident. She warmed up as soon as she had investigated every inch of our house and received her first meal here – which only took about 30 minutes. And she ONLY EVER uses her scratching pad – thanks to a little cat nip!

It pains me to know that older kitties are overlooked so often in shelters when they have so much to offer. She is my second senior adoption and while of course our time with these kitties is shorter, the benefits to both the adopter and the adoptee is immeasurable. I'm so glad that she will live out her years (I think she may just live forever!) in a loving home with plenty of toys and sunny perches.

I've attached a few pictures. I tried to get some action shots but just couldn't get them to come out! The first two are of her right now, sitting on the back of the couch keeping me company while I type this email. She's always close by!

Thanks again for saving her 3 1/2 years ago and for taking such great care of her until we found each other.

Today's guest post was written by Cameron, Tuesday's guardian. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name

November 19, 2013

We had a remarkable week at our humane center with 50 adoptions! Our goal is to find homes for 77 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at the Carytown location of PETCO. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

The month of November begins the “Two Fur Tuesdays” adoption special. You can adopt any two pets for one adoption fee. It's a great month to adopt two new best friends!

Also, the adoption fee will be reduced by 30% every Thursday in the month of November.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

November 12, 2013

We had a wonderful week at our humane center with 59 adoptions! Our goal is to find homes for 72 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at the Carytown location of PETCO. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

The month of November begins the “Two Fur Tuesdays” adoption special. You can adopt any two pets for one adoption fee. It's a great month to adopt two new best friends!

Also, the adoption fee will be reduced by 30% every Thursday in the month of November.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.

November 08, 2013

Adam and Sunny were literally rescued from an appointment with death. In September, their guardian agreed to relinquish approximately 60 dogs in her custody in order to avoid animal cruelty charges. When our team arrived on her Goochland County property to evaluate the condition of the dogs and determine which were most in need of the resources the Richmond SPCA could provide for veterinary and behavioral treatment and rehabilitation, we were told these particular dogs were excluded from consideration because they were “too old” for anyone to want them. Therefore, a veterinarian had been summoned to euthanize them at the end of the week.

When asked what medical conditions prompted the decision to euthanize these senior dogs, their advanced age was the only justification given. After much pleading to allow the Richmond SPCA to give these dogs a chance, the former owner finally relented. They showed many signs of the years spent neglected outdoors – fly strike on their ears, filthy coats, runny eyes, inflamed skin – and we knew there would be additional veterinary needs beyond what we were able to observe.

After many weeks in the loving, expert care of our veterinary services team, Adam and Sunny are ready to be adopted into a loving home, and it is imperative that this bonded pair remain together. We are counting on readers of our blog and our supporters who use other social media to share their story. Adam and Sunny will have some ongoing medical needs, and the individual or family who commits to care for them and give them the home they deserve will have access to low-cost veterinary services through our Clinic for Compassionate Care.

Adam is the elder of the pair. He is approximately 10-12 years old. When he first came into our care, he presented symptoms of severe periodontal disease, an inflamed eye, flaky skin and arthritis. Following a course of antibiotics, Adam had a dental cleaning. Our staff also performed radiographs to diagnose the cause of his distended third eyelid. He displays signs of Horner’s Syndrome, and there may have been some trauma to the left side of his face at some time in Adam’s past. Our veterinarians recommend follow up X-rays within 3-6 months of adoption, which his new family may have performed at our Clinic for Compassionate Care. An estimate for sedation and X-ray is available. He is being given join supplements to decrease the discomfort he experiences from arthritis, and it would be beneficial for his adopters to continue supplements.

Sunny is approximately 10 years old, and we believe he has spent much of his life in Adam’s company. Like all the dogs the Richmond SPCA takes into our care, we tested Sunny for heartworms, and his test was positive, but he was not immediately healthy enough to begin treatment. After several weeks under observation and treatment with antibiotics, Sunny successfully completed heartworm treatment at the beginning of October. His adopters will receive a supply of heartworm prevention and instructions to return for a heartworm checkup in April of 2014. Like Adam, Sunny had advanced dental decay and has had a dental cleaning. He has also been diagnosed with mild hip dysplasia and spondylosis of the spine for which a supplement is prescribed. If his adopters chose to use our Clinic for Compassionate Care for ongoing veterinary care, they will be able to purchase these supplements at reduced cost. Sunny also has a lipoma (fatty tumor), which our veterinarian decided not to remove as it is causing him no harm at his age.

If you believe, like we do, that advanced age has no bearing on adoptability, love and companionship, then please share their story. If you think you could be their perfect match, call our adoption desk at 804-521-1307 or come to get to know them in person.

Tabitha Frizzell Hanes is the director of advancement for the Richmond SPCA. To read the biographies of our regular bloggers, please click here. Before posting a comment, please review our comment guidelines. Please note that our comment policy requires a first and last name to be used as your screen name.

November 05, 2013

We had a fantastic week at our humane center with 65 adoptions! Our wonderful adoption counselors found loving homes for 31 cats and 34 dogs. Our goal is to find homes for 95 orphaned animals this week. You can help spread the word about our available pets and lifesaving work by "liking" and sharing our social media posts on Facebook and tumblr. You can also follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Our adoption center is open every day of the week: Monday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit our website to see some of our dogs and cats currently available for adoption, for directions to our Robins-Starr Humane Center, to view the programs and services we offer, and more.

Match Finder tool

If you have not seen the pet you’re looking for among the cats and dogs currently listed on our website, we recommend that you try our free Match Finder tool. This online tool is designed to help you find your new best friend by automatically emailing you when a pet matching your desired criteria is available. If you have any questions, please contact our amazing adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Offsite adoptions

In addition to having many wonderful cats at our humane center, we also have several felines at the Carytown location of PETCO. We also have cats available for adoption at the Children's Museum of Richmond - Chesterfield. If you would like to learn more about these felines or set up an appointment to meet them in person, please call our adoption team at 804-521-1307.

Adoption specials

The month of November begins the “Two Fur Tuesdays” adoption special. You can adopt any two pets for one adoption fee. It's a great month to adopt two new best friends!

Also, the adoption fee will be reduced by 30% every Thursday in the month of November.

Alumni updates

Our staff and volunteers love to know what our precious adoptees are up to, so please keep us posted! If you would like to share a picture or story of your adopted pet, please send us an email. If you would like to see your pet featured on one of our social media sites, please tell us in your message that we may share your update.